Tuesday, September 8, 2026
And
it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place,
when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him,
Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. Luke 11:1
This trivet’s resting place is on my stove
top. It once hung on a wall somewhere,
and now it is the home for my tea kettle on the stove top. The words form a prayer which are meant to be
remembered. You can tell that by the
fact that there is meter and rhyme to this sentiment:
Come,
Lord Jesus, our guest to be
And bless
these gifts bestowed by Thee
You can tell it’s supposed to be a remembered
reverent request of the Lord to say thank you for the food you’re about to
consume, and to ask for it to be a blessing to the bodies that consume it.
The question here is….IS THIS A TRIVIAL
TRIVET?
Does it really mean anything to say a
memorized prayer over that plate with two hot dogs and some chips? In the scheme of things, it hardly seems God would
bless it in my case, as the amount of carbohydrates and sodium total on my
heart-conscious low-sodium diet is more than a full day’s load. I can imagine God responding from Heaven…. REALLY? C’mon Brownworth, I know you’re scheduled to come
here, but do you really want to hurry it along with that stuff? On the other hand, my mind would just not be calm
NOT saying a prayer over my food.
I was taught by my parents that we bow our
heads and pray, thanking God for what He has provided, because it’s the right
thing for a Christian to do. Now, behind
that simplistic explanation (which sounds annoyingly like my father answering, because
I said so, that’s why), lies a settled fact that Scripture tells us
over and again to be thankful in every aspect of our lives.[1]
So, why have it on your stovetop,
Russell? Simple answer: So I’m reminded! Well…..if you have it memorized, why do you
have to be reminded? Fair question. Have you ever memorized the words to something,
something you believed, and knew was right, but somehow your brain didn’t kick
in the next day? What you had memorized
and passed through your moral grid, checked off all the boxes as dead-on, right
way to live….but for whatever reasons, when it came down to doing what
you believed, memorized, and approved, you did just the opposite! Ever done that?
I hardly need to be reminded to pray over my
bowl of Rice Krispies in the morning, or even in a restaurant with all those
other people around me. Praying over my
food is a lifetime habit. The food
wouldn’t even taste good if I didn’t pray.
But that isn’t the issue with that trivet; it is there because I am not
perfect, and I need to be reminded every day Who IS perfect, and what my day
should be like if I’m going to serve him.
That breakfast prayer trivet is an intentional and comforting reminder
that I don’t have to face this day alone.
It reminds me I’ve got a bunch of trusted brothers and sisters in Christ
who are praying for me, just as I pray for them, and that we have a Lord who is
listening. That prayer trivet is a
reminder that my connection with the Lord who loved me, and died for me, and
promised to never leave me, is going to be as vital and connected as my
willingness to pray.
When you stand before the LORD on Judgment Day
God will not ask how many Scripture verses you memorized; you will be judged on
how you loved your neighbor and God’s Son, Jesus.
You
chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!
[1] Title and Other
Image
by Russell Brownworth, personal photo Unless noted, Scripture quotes The Christian Standard Bible©
